The Sanhedrin: (a Council of Seventy-one Jewish religious leaders)
  They were hearing the defense and accusations of Stephen…he turned his trial around and accused them!
   They were “cut to the quick,” they were furious!  (Acts 7:54)

Stephen: full of the Holy Spirit
  He gazed into heaven as he finished his defense.  Amazing that he could ‘see’ into heaven!  Only God could have opened up the windows into heaven for Stephen to see the glory of God Himself!  (Acts 7:55)

  Then he described what he saw:
(NASB) Acts 7:56 “…‘Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’”

The Sanhedrin: how did they react?
  They covered their ears (they did not want to hear Stephen talk about what he was seeing) and they yelled as loudly as they could, rushed at Stephen…dragged him out of Jerusalem and then picked up stones and hurled them at him. (Acts 7:57-58)  [This was the brutality of the death of Stephen.]

Saul: was a young man watching what was happening and the mob laid their robes at his feet.  (Acts 7:58) 

Stephen: As he was being stoned, called on the Lord saying:
(NASB) Acts 7:59 “…Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”

  Then as the stones kept hitting him, he fell to his knees and he cried out with a loud voice…
(NASB) Acts 7:60 “…‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them!”
  He “fell asleep” in death. 

  Did you notice?  The Lord God did not protect Stephen from pain or the anger of his enemies and death.
  But the Lord God did fill Stephen with His Holy Spirit (Acts 7:55).
  The Lord God did open up heaven and revealed His glory and the physical, resurrected Lord Jesus Christ standing at His right hand, to Stephen.  
(Acts 7:56)

  The Triune God of the Holy Bible was present at the death of Stephen and He welcomed him into His presence.  God the Father was present…His glory.  God the Son was present…the Lord Jesus Christ.  God the Holy Spirit was present filling Stephen.

~ Take it to heart ~

Followers of Christ…pray for those being persecuted today for their faith in Jesus Christ and that they be filled with the Spirit of the living God.  Pray that they will forgive!

Categories: The Acts of the Holy Spirit